HappycamperB

[Don Fairchild]

How are doing on your EV any pic's or reports to write. Inquiring minds want to know.

Also where do you work out there in the middle of no where.LOL

Don

[happycamperbrat]

Hahaha!! Hi Don! I bought a VW bus and right now am in the process of doing some body work on it and general stripping (both inside and out). Just today I sold the engine to someone who is going to pull it. Mostly I am working on sprucing up an old garden shed to become a work shop and getting a foundation ready to build a bus barn so Im not always whipped by wind and the HOT and soon to be the COLD. This way I can find my tools when I need something rather then hunting through chaos to find what I need. I just cut up a bunch of heavy railroad timbers to about 1 foot long so I can handle sliding them around. They will be used to block up both buses, right now I have my VW blocked on them with some cut down 2x4s. I located a like minded person who is a professional auto painter and we have been going over designs for the paint scheme on both buses. Im still shopping for the electric motor and controller and still trying to learn and pick people's brains about the ev conversion. Ive been really busy with it all. Im also trying to come with names for the buses, I thought of "Mickey and Minnie" or "Heckle and Jeckle" or "Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hide" but I am VERY much open for suggestions 

Awhile back you said I should remove the catalitic converter, why? What are the benefits and expense for my big bus?

[RJ]

Teresa -

How about:

"David & Goliath"?

"Mamabus & Babybus"

"Mini-van & Giant Mini-Van"

"MiniVan & MiniVan on Steroids"


Oh, and you've GOT to put a sign on the back of the VW when it's in toad-mode saying "Be Patient - I'm Pushing As Hard As I Can!"

See what you've started???   

FWIW & HTH. . .

[HighTechRedneck]

Im also trying to come with names for the buses, I thought of "Mickey and Minnie" or "Heckle and Jeckle" or "Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hide" but I am VERY much open for suggestions 

I still like your name "Little GTO" for your bus.

As for the VW van - Mini Me

Then paint it to match your bus.

[happycamperbrat]

RJ, mini van on steroids is just tooooooo funny!!! I keep laughing when I read that!!

Hightech, I loooooovvvveee Little GTO too........ but dang! I wanted to get a GTO toad and that isnt going to happen now  The name Little GTO is up for grabs, it just doesnt go  anymore    

But yes, both buses will be painted the same and I may end up doing a little modification of the VW to look more like a mini RTS with different front lights and front bumper. Of course the side windows will all be tinted and I may pull the back window. I thought too of Sunrise and Sunset and painting the buses appropriately but my mom didnt like the idea AND I promised my kids I would use lots of blue for my son and lots of red for my daughter. Personally I like lots of white because of the insulative qualities, but I really dont want it to look like an American Flag....... Im not that much of a hippie lol

Oh and Im also shopping for a good used mig welder to learn on and do some projects on the buses.

[HighTechRedneck]

I promised my kids I would use lots of blue for my son and lots of red for my daughter. Personally I like lots of white because of the insulative qualities, but I really dont want it to look like an American Flag....... Im not that much of a hippie lol

Hey!  Nothing hippie-ish about red, white & blue.  Egads! 

If I was in the budget to paint my bus, I would be very strongly consider a red, white & blue patriotic theme.

And Norman Scanapico's "Never Forget" paint job on his bus is one of my all time favorites. (not red, white & blue, but an incredible theme of patriotism and remembrance)

[Highway Yacht]

Teresa.... Hows about "Little Bit" for the VW and "Big Bit" for the RTS?

[fe2_o3]

  Tigerlilly & Tinkerbelle

[happycamperbrat]

You guys are too funny!!! I love the ideas!! Mike could you link me with the bus with the theme you are talking about, mom is in agreement with you and "maybe" just "maybe" I could be persuaded. I had the VW transported here and when the guy delivered it and say the RTS he was full of questions, so I told him what all I planned on. His next question to me was if I was going to paint them with flowers all over lol   There is a youtube video of a vw with the flag theme painted on it and it was obviously a hippie van and they are doing an ev conversion on it, calling it "Peace bus"........... I like more classy or unique stuff with a subtle funny feel (like funny names or something catchy) rather then gimmicky or common stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pJ0fp6Wiws

[Busted Knuckle]

Hey Teresa,
OK first things first!
The VW bus you showed off Utube has an awesome paint scheme! (how could anyone possibly rear end it and say I didn't see it!)

Second growing up around road racing (my dad ran SCCA cars from before I was born until just before my teen yrs!) I remember they had some classes called GTO and GTU which were GT (Gran Touring) cars and the O stood for over such and such displacement and the GTU was under that displacement! (I don't remember the exact size, but I remember asking dad what the difference was when we were at the "Mid-Ohio Road Course Track" in Lexington, OH. And that was what he told me!) The main reason I remember "where we were" so much was it was the FIRST time I ever met Jack Roush of Roush racing and Ford Motorsports fame! He and his team and "fleet" of awesome Fords are still personal favorites!

Third if you really want yer toad to look like a mini-RTS you might look into one of the Toyota mini vans of the late '80's - early '90's era!
  BK 

[jackhartjr]

Bryce, Jack just repo'ed Richard Petty's cars and engines...imagine that.  Then gave them back the Talladega cars!
And happycamperbrat, I LOVE what you are doing!
Jack

[cody]

I always thought the VW camper/microbus, what did they call it the vanagon? was the perfect toad, you've got the bus for the main travel but if you wanted to take off up in the hills for an overnighter you have the VW camper and you still got a kajillion miles to the gallon if it was one of the original ones and not a new lookalike.  Libbys sister bought a new VW beetle and I think she thought they still got good gas mileage, she says she is lucky if she gets 22MPG. Times sure have changed, I don't deal with change very well.

[Busted Knuckle]

Bryce, Jack just repo'ed Richard Petty's cars and engines...imagine that.  Then gave them back the Talladega cars!
And happycamperbrat, I LOVE what you are doing!
Jack

Times are hard all over and I guess the Petty's are no exception!
  BK 

[Kevin]

Uhmmm... Momma Bear and Baby Bear?

[happycamperbrat]

Im trying to negotiate a deal right now on a Citivan Soletra drive system...... wish me luck! It is 3 vans offered for sale as a package deal and we have 2 buyers but are still looking for the 3rd.

I found that Xantrex makes a step up inverter for 240 or 30 amps which could be used in the system for charging.

My brother has informed me that all our electric comes from one of 4 places but he doesnt know the order of choice. We get our power from Wind, Solar, Geo Thermal or saddly Coal.

I have read (but not yet confirmed) that I-5 is going to be the "electric highway". Nissan and some company out of San Fransisco are putting in charging stations every 100 miles from Mexico to Canada. Supposedly these charging stations will be super duper and charge in 15 minutes what usually takes over night to do and the fee for using them will be about $1.40 Not Bad!!

As for the paint......... maybe a fading from blue to red to white with some decals? To me the flag is too gimicky.

I love the names!! Thanks for all the ideas!!

The nose on the VW I bought is damaged and Im thinking about using the metal for strength, but fiberglassing the nose to look more like the RTS with not so much slope at the bottom of the windshield and fabricating a custom bumper for the front and removing the back bumper on the VW.

This is a very exciting project for me! The more I learn about it, the more I am convinced this is the right direction for my conversion of both buses. In time the $$$ end will factor out in favor of the conversion as well, because the price of gas is going up and the price of batteries is going down while the technology of batteries and chargers is going up.

Thanks for all the support on this